Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

[BloodRose]

Re: Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

Once I started looking into the build quality of ENGL amps, it became hard for me to get excited about them..

Bet it does sound tremendous though.

Ok, Ill bite..... whats wrong with the build?? I thought they were upper tier??

Congrats Van Noord!! As far as the kid.. get some of those head phone ear protectors. the kid will think its cool wearing them and you can rawk out!!

[Toe-Knee]

Re: Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

Ok, Ill bite..... whats wrong with the build?? I thought they were upper tier??

Congrats Van Noord!! As far as the kid.. get some of those head phone ear protectors. the kid will think its cool wearing them and you can rawk out!!

They're solidly built.

The amount of glue in them annoys me. I think its a combination of that and the amount of ribbon cables that most people turn their noses up at.

However. I have never had to fix an Engl they seem bulletproof.

[Van Noord]

Re: Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

I know their circuit boards are mounted upside down, which frustrates some techs. Ribbon cable doesn't bother me. The tubes are ENGL labeled/selected and sound great. Not sure what they are. Two of the four 12AX7's are EH, I can visually read them as such. Decent tubes I think.
The chasis, front panel, lights, dials and jacks all look to be of good-high quality to me. My tech can fix ANYTHING, so unless it is obviously cheap feeling and looking, I don't really worry about that stuff. This amps seems to be on par with others that I have in the quality and build dept. My tech could tell me more if and when he ever needs to go inside it.

[MetalManiac]

Re: Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

I don't know if its like Boogie in the sense that different models are wired differently; I wouldnt touch a RoadkingII with all that congestion on the circuitboard and circuitboard mounted tubes and jacks but with the MKIv ..the one I want, looking absolutely old School and amazing handwired neatly with chassis mounted tubes and controls.
The Engl I saw ( someone offered me a trade of my Super Reverb Reissue for a Blackmore Engl), was just aweful. That Engl Cheap wafer thin circuitbaord, poor layout, thin traces, Tubes and jacks mounted on the board...not unlike a New Fender Reissue, which are godaweful amps in every way, they sound okay but anyone owning one needs intensive psychotherapy ..Same reason I would never touch a Peavey Amp. I am a purist.
Curious to see how Rienholdt Bogners amps are wired. One demo I saw, the Uberschall absolutely smoked the MKIV in every way imaginable, but that mightve just been cause the MKiv was a combo, and the Uber was a half stack.
I'm in no real hurry to get a high gain amp, but I really do need to start looking ahead to a Great Hot Rod Marshall, like an SLO.

[Van Noord]

Re: Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

Yeah, that tube mounted circuit board elitism is nonsense. Like my tech says, unless your a complete brute with gorilla hands and swap tubes every week then there is nothing to be concerned about. I've had amps for YEARS that have never had a problem.
He services just as many handwired, PT, non tube socket mounted PCB amps than anything.

Some people get these ideas in their heads and convince themselves of certain things. Sometimes you just need to play the thing and put it through its paces instead of dissecting it.
In the end, all amps will have issues or will fail. Whether $400 or 4K.

[MetalManiac]

Re: Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

Some people get these ideas in their heads and convince themselves of certain things. Sometimes you just need to play the thing and put it through its paces instead of dissecting it.
In the end, all amps will have issues or will fail. Whether $400 or 4K.

Whatever. You'll never convince me at this stage that form doesnt follow function. If it deosnt look similar in buikld quality at at least my JMP, then I am not intersted. I realize a high gain amp neccesiates more complex circuitry, but take a look at the MKiv guts whenever you get a cahnce. Elegant, refined, reliable. It is complex, but not bizzare and space shuttle fragile/complex like the RoadkingII.
The Engl Blackmore is like cheap Fender reissue. Those Reissue Fender amps sound pretty nice clean, but the overdrive sounds on those amps are absolutely nothing like vintage Blackface Fender..pretty bad actually. In stark contrast, a genuine vinateg Blackface distortion is one of the greatest breakup sounds in History.

[Van Noord]

Re: Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

Whatever. You'll never convince me at this stage that form doesnt follow function. If it deosnt look similar in buikld quality at at least my JMP, then I am not intersted. I realize a high gain amp neccesiates more complex circuitry, but take a look at the MKiv guts whenever you get a cahnce. Elegant, refined, reliable. It is complex, but not bizzare and space shuttle fragile/complex like the RoadkingII.
The Engl Blackmore is like cheap Fender reissue. Thiose amps sound pretty nice clean, but the overdrive sound absolutel;y nothing like vintage blackface Fender..pretty bad actually. In stark contrast, a genuine vinateg Blackface distortion is one of the greatest breakup sounds in History.

Yeah, whatever is exactly right. Trust me, you're the last person I wish to convince anything of. Stop picking fights and take you downer comments elsewhere. You are intentionally derailing my thread. Start your own thread if you want to spew your build quality beliefs.

[MetalManiac]

Re: Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

Yeah, whatever is exactly right. Trust me, you're the last person I wish to convince anything of. Stop picking fights and take you downer comments elsewhere. You are intentionally derailing my thread. Start your own thread if you want to spew your build quality beliefs.

[Van Noord]

Re: Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

Are there any other current ENGL owners on the board?

[Toe-Knee]

Re: Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

All his speak of pcb mounted sockets reminds me of this.

[Blackie13]

Re: Ze Ball of Fire (NAD)

This is what i have written in the past:

Engl Scramer:Pretty versitile amp with 4 channels...loved the first channel...liked the lead...didn't care about the rest...
Engl Fireball 60:Sorry but that was a junk...scooped as hell...compressed and a costant narrow sound...I changed settings,tubes,speakers...nothing...
Engl Blackmore:Best amp in the current Engl production...nice warm sound...pretty raw if needed...I enjoyed it a lot...too bad the PT fried and I changed it for the next...
Engl Invader:Liked the clean channel...liked the second...liked the third when playing alone-lacked balls with a band...(today's engl problem...they lack balls)hated the lead...Same narrow sound as the fireballl...

these are the engls I used to have...I have tested also powerball,savage,straight...The last was the best engl sound I have tested and the BLmore was the best of the production line...